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A Woman's Heart - Unique Features of Cardiovascular Disease in Women

Learn more about cardiovascular disease in women

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the number-one killer of women globally.1 Even though it is widely recognized that cardiovascular disease is the leading threat to women’s health, misconceptions still exist that cardiovascular disease is primarily a disease of middle-aged men.

CVD can impact women and men of any age and any nationality. Unfortunately, many women do not consider themselves at risk for CVD. This misconception, along with the fact that risk factors and symptoms of acute events often differ between women and men, leads to an imbalance in the assessment, diagnosis, treatment, and outcomes of cardiovascular disease in women.

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death for women worldwide.7

One-third of deaths in women are due to cardiovascular disease.7

Each year, 8.6 million women around the globe die from heart disease and stroke.8

Heart disease and stroke kill more women than all cancers, tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS, and malaria combined.8

Gender Differences9Women and men are not equal when it comes to heart disease. There are several unique differences in risk factors, signs and symptoms, and outcomes in women compared to men.

Women generally develop cardiovascular disease later in life than men. However, for women who have a heart attack at a younger age, the mortality rate is much higher than for men of the same age. Coronary artery disease in women tends to affect the smaller blood vessels, producing less-severe symptoms. The plaque burden in women also tends to be lower than in men but differs in that it often builds up along the entire artery rather than within a concentrated area. This means that it is not uncommon for women to have chest pain without evident obstructive coronary artery disease. Women also suffer more physical limitations after an acute event, and young or middle-aged women show higher rates of adverse outcomes, complications, and disability after heart attack compared to men.